Rolling entrepreneurial thunder
Spokane Journal of Business, WA
March 8, 2007
Chris Olson definitely isn’t your typical businessman... But a businessman he is. As co-owner, with his wife, Tammy, of Chris Olson Custom Cycles, he has big entrepreneurial ambitions. They go well beyond trying to eke out a profit building expensive custom motorcycles one at a time for a relatively small group of potential buyers here. Those goals include developing a “legend series” of limited-edition, widely marketed bikes honoring past music and movie stars, and possibly attracting a larger-scale motorcycle manufacturing operation here.
The Olsons currently are seeking to raise $1.5 million in angel investor money, which he says is the minimum amount needed to kick off production of the “legend series” bikes. He says they expect to hear a decision within the next month or two from an investor who is considering buying the rights to their concept and making the Olsons shareholders in the venture, but they also are continuing to explore other possible sources for those funds as well...
The whole “legend series” idea, he says, was triggered by a phone call he received about two years ago from KISS member Gene Simmons. Simmons, he says, was interested in having him design a bike that could be marketed to KISS’s large international fan base, but Simmons didn’t want to provide the startup capital for such a venture.
In support of their business concept, the Olsons note that a few similar ventures are springing up elsewhere around the country, taking advantage of a steadily rising public interest in motorcycling. Aerosmith rock band lead singer Steven Tyler and Bruce Rossmeyer, one of the nation’s largest Harley-Davidson dealers, recently collaborated to sell 10 Steven Tyler Signature Series limited-edition custom motorcycles in 10 days, at $80,000 each. Rossmeyer also has announced plans to release 30 specially designed Harley-Davidson motorcycles this year to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death in August. Those bikes reportedly are expected to sell for around $58,000 each. Separately, Orange County Choppers has taken a sports theme approach by announcing plans to introduce officially licensed National Hockey League team custom bikes...
March 8, 2007
Chris Olson definitely isn’t your typical businessman... But a businessman he is. As co-owner, with his wife, Tammy, of Chris Olson Custom Cycles, he has big entrepreneurial ambitions. They go well beyond trying to eke out a profit building expensive custom motorcycles one at a time for a relatively small group of potential buyers here. Those goals include developing a “legend series” of limited-edition, widely marketed bikes honoring past music and movie stars, and possibly attracting a larger-scale motorcycle manufacturing operation here.
The Olsons currently are seeking to raise $1.5 million in angel investor money, which he says is the minimum amount needed to kick off production of the “legend series” bikes. He says they expect to hear a decision within the next month or two from an investor who is considering buying the rights to their concept and making the Olsons shareholders in the venture, but they also are continuing to explore other possible sources for those funds as well...
The whole “legend series” idea, he says, was triggered by a phone call he received about two years ago from KISS member Gene Simmons. Simmons, he says, was interested in having him design a bike that could be marketed to KISS’s large international fan base, but Simmons didn’t want to provide the startup capital for such a venture.
In support of their business concept, the Olsons note that a few similar ventures are springing up elsewhere around the country, taking advantage of a steadily rising public interest in motorcycling. Aerosmith rock band lead singer Steven Tyler and Bruce Rossmeyer, one of the nation’s largest Harley-Davidson dealers, recently collaborated to sell 10 Steven Tyler Signature Series limited-edition custom motorcycles in 10 days, at $80,000 each. Rossmeyer also has announced plans to release 30 specially designed Harley-Davidson motorcycles this year to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death in August. Those bikes reportedly are expected to sell for around $58,000 each. Separately, Orange County Choppers has taken a sports theme approach by announcing plans to introduce officially licensed National Hockey League team custom bikes...
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